Susan Tedeschi
Susan Tedeschi (/təˈdɛski/; born November 9, 1970) is an American singer and guitarist. A multiple Grammy Award nominee,[1] she is a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a conglomeration of her band, her husband Derek Trucks’ band, and other musicians.
Susan Tedeschi
November 9, 1970
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Musician, songwriter
Vocals, Guitar
1995–present
- Verve Forecast
- Rounder
- Mercury
- Tone-Cool
Early life[edit]
Tedeschi was born on November 9, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to a family of Italian ancestry and was raised in Norwell, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Dick Tedeschi, granddaughter of Nick Tedeschi, and great-granddaughter of Angelo Tedeschi, who founded Tedeschi Food Shops, a New England–based supermarket and convenience store chain.[2] Tedeschi made her public debut as a five-year-old understudy in a Broadway musical. As a youth she sang for family members and listened to her father's record collection of old vinyl recordings of musicians such as Mississippi John Hurt and Lightnin' Hopkins. Raised as a Catholic, she found little inspiration in the church choir and attended predominantly African-American Baptist churches, feeling that the music was "less repressed and more like a celebration of God." In bands since the age of 13, she formed her first all-original group at 18, the Smokin' Section, in the nearby town of Scituate.[3]
After graduating from Norwell High School, Tedeschi attended the Berklee College of Music, where she sang in a gospel choir. She performed show tunes on the Spirit of Boston and received her Bachelor of Music degree in musical composition and performance at age 20.[1] During that time, she began sitting in on blues jams at local venues and immersed herself in the Boston music scene.
Personal life[edit]
On December 5, 2001, Tedeschi married Derek Trucks. They have two children: Charles Kahlil Trucks, born in March 2002, is named for saxophonist Charlie Parker, guitarist Charlie Christian, and author Kahlil Gibran; and Sophia Naima Trucks, born in 2004, who takes her middle name from the ballad composed by John Coltrane, in honor of his first wife. They reside in Jacksonville, Florida.[9]
Tedeschi arranged the Berklee scholarship that was awarded to Adrianne Lenker, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the Grammy-nominated rock band Big Thief.[10][11]
Influences[edit]
Tedeschi's voice has been described as a blend of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin,[12] both of whom she claims as influences. Her guitar playing is influenced by Buddy Guy, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King and Doyle Bramhall II. On the album Just Won't Burn (1998), she lists a multitude of inspirations from various genres. This list includes Irma Thomas, Etta James, Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, Aretha Franklin, Otis Rush, Ronnie Earl, Otis Clay, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Dennis Montgomery III, Orville Wright, Walter Beasley, Kenya Hathaway, and Mahalia Jackson.
Tedeschi served as a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards.[14]